Few artists inhabit the space between music, cinema and theatre quite like Wendy Bevan. British-born and Los Angeles-based, the vocalist, electric violinist, composer, photographer and filmmaker has spent her career building worlds that exist somewhere between the ethereal and the otherworldly. Raised in a theatrical family and classically trained from the age of seven, Bevan’s fascination with storytelling has remained central to her work, whether through the shadowy textures of her music or the visual narratives that surround it.
From her early years on London’s jazz and underground cabaret circuit to immersive productions with Punchdrunk, Bevan has continually blurred the boundaries between performer and character. Her work with Temper Temper established a noir-inflected musical universe, while her solo records have drawn together electronic, post-punk and contemporary classical influences. Her collaboration with Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes on ASTRONOMIA, a four-part cinematic project inspired by mythology and the cosmos, marked another evolution in her expansive creative language.
Now, Bevan unveils Alone With The Unknown, an album steeped in love, longing, memory and the spaces between certainty and desire. Following the release of “Sleepwalkers”, produced by Rhodes, the record continues her exploration of music as a cinematic and emotional landscape.
To celebrate the release of Alone With The Unknown, Wendy Bevan takes over the 1883 playlist, sharing some of the songs she adores.
A note from Wendy
This playlist is a little bit nocturnal, a little bit romantic and slightly strange which is probably why it feels right for this week as we slowly move towards longer nights. I love music that creates a world of its own, and these songs move between smoky noir, post-punk attitude, vintage glamour and something darker and more cinematic.
Together, they feel like a mixture of the soundtrack to a late-night drive; with a bit of mystery, sex, swagger and danger and a character you want to spend the night with.
Edwyn Collins — ‘A Girl Like You‘
There’s something wonderfully sexy, swaggering and seductive about this track. It makes me feel like I’ve just waked into a room wearing exactly the right outfit. It instantly changes up the energy its playful, confident and a reminder that sometimes you just need to turn the volume up and own it. The crunchy guitar solo gets me every time and the way the lyric build is so cool, I think the beat led by the claps throughout the track really make us want to stay and be part of it, like we are encouraging the story to develop before our very eyes..
Nancy Sinatra — ‘In My Room‘
Intimate, mysterious and quietly heartbreaking, this is the kind of song that makes solitude feel glamorous. It has that beautiful Nancy Sinatra quality of seeming both incredibly vulnerable and completely in control. It feels private and cinematic, like closing the door on the world and disappearing into your own little film for a while. I love the arrangement of this song- drums and brass section working together to build the atmosphere, and the choir, echoing her feelings and pain.
Lana Del Rey — ‘Candy Necklace‘
I love the faded-Hollywood melancholy of this track, the simplicity of the arrangement and the sense of glamour with something darker lurking underneath. The imagery of the Candy Necklaces in the lyric is really interesting and strange, I like that it feels like an intimate monologue, accompanied by a piano solo in a cavernous space really enriching the atmosphere. It inspires me to embrace nostalgia without romanticising it too much; beauty and sadness can exist here in the same frame and Lana does tragedy really well.
The Monzas — ‘Forever Walks a Drifter‘
I’m drawn to its sense of freedom and melancholy in this track, the romance of the outsider who keeps walking. The saxophone at the beginning really draws me in, the song feels like a long journey on the open road at night, watching the waves crashing against the shore under the moon. The melody is really beautiful and the key change later in the track is just perfect.
Morphine — ‘Let’s Take a Trip Together‘
Smoky, intimate and slightly sleazy in the best possible way. Morphine always makes me think of late nights, dim rooms and conversations that become much more interesting after midnight. This song is the exact song you want to hear at 2am on the dance floor in a dive bar or on the drive home.
Patti Smith — ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘
Patti Smith turns something already iconic into something so raw, strange and almost spiritual. It reminds me why I love artists who aren’t afraid to dismantle a familiar song and make it entirely their own. You want to live on and be forever young, when you hear this version. Its a see-saw of vulnerability and strength. The violin part and the plucking of banjo, in the background makes it
feel more folky but somehow still so playful, even with the words which aren’t so subtle at times.
PJ Harvey — ‘This Is Love‘
Pure attitude. No softness and no apology, just come and get me. It has that visceral, unapologetic energy that makes you want to stop overthinking everything and simply follow your instincts. I have always loved the video to this track too. It makes me feel like I want to go and grab the day ahead, and that I’m unstoppable, so don’t mess with me… ok?! When I want to feel stronger I turn this up loud and dance, trust my gut a little more and worry about the consequences later.
Fad Gadget — ‘Back to Nature‘
Dark, eccentric and brilliantly unsettling, this is the track that brings a little machinery into the romance of the playlist. I love its sense of unease. It stops the collection from becoming too polished or pretty, the track is kind of monotonous which is so cool- the lyrics are kind of like this abstract one way conversation. Great arrangement it sounds like theres all these crazy creatures lurking around…perfect for these longer nights as we slip into the darker months.
Wendy Bevan — ‘Sleepwalkers‘
This is my third single that was just released for my forthcoming album- Alone With The Unknown. Dreamy, dark and otherworldly, this song to me feels like drifting through a city after everyone else has gone home. It brings a softer, more hypnotic mood to the playlist, like the moment when reality starts to blur around the edges. I love this song and I hope the 1883 listeners also get to enjoy it.
Peggy Lee — ‘Johnny Guitar‘
I love this song, its so simple and so mysterious. This is pure cinematic romance; dramatic, sensual and impossibly cool. Peggy Lee has a way of making longing sound completely effortless, and this track feels like it belongs somewhere between a desert highway and an old Technicolor movie. Red lipstick and trouble on the horizon.
The collection
What connects all of these songs for me is atmosphere. They’re not necessarily from the same era or even the same musical world, but they all have a strong sense of character, sensual, cinematic, rebellious and slightly off-kilter. There’s a fascination with the past here, but it’s never purely nostalgic; the old is constantly colliding with the new.
I suppose this playlist is ultimately about mood rather than genre the feeling of being awake when everyone else is asleep, falling in love with something slightly dangerous, driving somewhere without knowing exactly where you’re going. It’s a soundtrack for the in-between.
Wendy Bevan’s new album Alone With The Unknown is out now.
Listen to the playlist below.
Photography Jesse Laitinen
